Pravda means "Politically Correct"
In one of his essays on his trip to the Soviet Union, Heinlein described "Pravda" (the article was called, "Pravda Means 'Truth'"). He said that Pravda means "truth", but it also means "that which furthers the cause of communism".
I sometimes called political correctness "pravda", but usually when it refers to something "everybody knows is true". (again, Heinlein, "If 'everybody knows' something is so, then it isn't, by a thousand to one").
I missed "Real Steel" when it was in the theater. I was looking forward to seeing it on tv today, but I slept through all but the ending.
Rocky ruined this movie's ending.
See, when Rocky was made, one of the most moving scenes was Rocky saying he just wanted to go the distance. This was necessary due to political correctness. The idea, in 1976, that a white man could actually beat a black man in the ring? Raaaacism! He was the protagonist and underdog, and they knew they couldn't have him actually get beat. So they came up with the BS ending that he lost, but he went the distance.
It's like all those movies where the dorky guy goes after the prom queen, and by the end discovers that A) she's a total bitch and/or B) the girl they've been ignoring is *really* the girl they want.
(this bit is aimed mostly at khaling): if a story you read is about an underdog, particularly if it's about a lone underdog who actually *wins* against impossible, fantastic, unbelievable odds, check to see if I wrote it. For me, those are pretty much the only stories worth reading. I believe in the underdog. I need to believe in the underdog.
SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT!
So, the ending of Real Steal borrows even more from "Rocky". The little bot, controlled by the soft human, beats the crap out of the champion, after getting the crap beat out of himself at first. Then comes the decision, and the little bot lost, but just barely, and the crowd thinks he won the fight, but lost on points.
And everybody cheers and is happy.
It has become pravda that it's okay if you don't achieve your goals if you try really hard and come close (the movie Gung-Ho exemplified this when the auto workers thought they'd get a bonus if they came *close* to beating the Japanese record). It also diminishes the idea that the underdog can win if he tries hard and smart enough. Subtly, unconsciously. The idea reinforces the status quo, whatever it may be at the moment. And I do not hold with that.
I only bring this up because A) it annoyed me and B) hopefully it will get people looking at other "givens" in the media and the world today and see the cultural mores that have been foisted upon us that inhibit individual achievement.
"Rollerball was created to demonstrate the futility of individual effort" - John Houseman, "Rollerball".
I sometimes called political correctness "pravda", but usually when it refers to something "everybody knows is true". (again, Heinlein, "If 'everybody knows' something is so, then it isn't, by a thousand to one").
I missed "Real Steel" when it was in the theater. I was looking forward to seeing it on tv today, but I slept through all but the ending.
Rocky ruined this movie's ending.
See, when Rocky was made, one of the most moving scenes was Rocky saying he just wanted to go the distance. This was necessary due to political correctness. The idea, in 1976, that a white man could actually beat a black man in the ring? Raaaacism! He was the protagonist and underdog, and they knew they couldn't have him actually get beat. So they came up with the BS ending that he lost, but he went the distance.
It's like all those movies where the dorky guy goes after the prom queen, and by the end discovers that A) she's a total bitch and/or B) the girl they've been ignoring is *really* the girl they want.
(this bit is aimed mostly at khaling): if a story you read is about an underdog, particularly if it's about a lone underdog who actually *wins* against impossible, fantastic, unbelievable odds, check to see if I wrote it. For me, those are pretty much the only stories worth reading. I believe in the underdog. I need to believe in the underdog.
SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT!
So, the ending of Real Steal borrows even more from "Rocky". The little bot, controlled by the soft human, beats the crap out of the champion, after getting the crap beat out of himself at first. Then comes the decision, and the little bot lost, but just barely, and the crowd thinks he won the fight, but lost on points.
And everybody cheers and is happy.
It has become pravda that it's okay if you don't achieve your goals if you try really hard and come close (the movie Gung-Ho exemplified this when the auto workers thought they'd get a bonus if they came *close* to beating the Japanese record). It also diminishes the idea that the underdog can win if he tries hard and smart enough. Subtly, unconsciously. The idea reinforces the status quo, whatever it may be at the moment. And I do not hold with that.
I only bring this up because A) it annoyed me and B) hopefully it will get people looking at other "givens" in the media and the world today and see the cultural mores that have been foisted upon us that inhibit individual achievement.
"Rollerball was created to demonstrate the futility of individual effort" - John Houseman, "Rollerball".
[in a video conference with other corporate executives]
In my opinion, we are confronted here with something of a situation. Otherwise, I would not have presumed to take up your time. Once again, it concerns the case of Jonathan E. We know we don't want anything extraordinary to happen to Jonathan. We've already agreeed on that. No accidents, nothing unnatural. The game was created to demonstrate the futility of individual effort. And the game must do its work. The Energy Corporation has done all it can, and if a champion defeats the meaning for which the game was designed, then he must lose. I hope you agree with my reasoning. " - Rollerball